Saturday Produce Shopping

After discovering that the downtown Bradenton farmer's market had neither the charm of the Red Barn flea market nor the exotic produce of the Sarasota farmer's market, we went back to the red barn. Not before stopping at Turner Donut, W Ninth St., in Bradenton.

I'd never brought the camera to the red barn before. I'm not sure why, I guess I didn't want to look like a tourist. But, as I had it in the car, I figured I might as well use it. Much restraint was necessary to keep from photographing the peacocks/peahens, but I just kept reminding myself of all of the times I'd seen tourists in kw chasing chickens with cameras.

For those not in the area, the red barn fleamarket is just that, a fleamarket. There's a large indoor pavillion, filled with all sorts of tacky schlock--taxidermied alligator dolls, shirts about "dippin' and sippin'," jacuzzis, and much more. Really though, all I go there for is the produce, and the mexican food--more about the food some other time. As I had just taken down a maple raised donut for breakfast, I wasn't really ready for any tacos al pastor or menudo. The produce: it's abundant, cheap and usually pretty fresh.

I think it was worth seeming a little touristy, because some of the fruits and vegetables were particularly beautiful.


I have to wonder if they purposely decided to put these eggplants and these peppers together.


Scotch bonnets/habeneros...I'm not sure if there's really a difference, or if it's just the nomenclature.




More chiles: serranos, jalapenos, and also some peas and key limes.


Nopales--cactus pads.


I think these plums might have been my favorite, both for their color and their being seven for a dollar.


These squash are what made me go back to the car and get the camera.


Also, on the way back from the red barn, we stopped at Wong Kai Imports to get fish sauce, litchi gummi, udon and lots more that will eventually show up on here.

And, after a day of room painting, there was watermelon juice. I'm not sure what it is about this juice that I find so appealing. Maybe its the fact that it has such a potent taste but such a light mouth feel. It really is like drinking water, but it's intensely sweet. Maybe its the fact that I associate that taste with a texture totally different than water. Whatever it is, I enjoy it.